


if you don't like me i'll be somebody else

by manusinistra



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: 97line are bros, Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, and transfer student vivi, everyone's a little in love with haseul, featuring tutor haseul, kind of a teen makeover movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-08 05:14:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19864072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manusinistra/pseuds/manusinistra
Summary: Most of the time Haseul likes her life. It’d just be better with a girlfriend.Enter: a makeover, a transfer student, and some very sweaty palms.





	if you don't like me i'll be somebody else

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Royce, who yelled about viseul so much and so convincingly I had to write something. Hope it's been a happy birthday.

“Chuu, come on,” Haseul says. “You’ve got to focus.”

They’re in the library, in the middle of a tutoring session. 

Well. Haseul is trying to tutor Chuu. Chuu is staring wistfully over at another table, where Yves flips long, shiny hair over her shoulder. 

(Yves has a good hair flip, Haseul will admit. However, it loses some effect when you’ve had to watch her practice it for an hour and give feedback on “which version is the most devastatingly attractive?”)

Chuu doesn’t react, still caught up in staring.

“Chuu.” 

Haseul thumps her hand on the table for good measure, and this time Chuu startles into awareness.

“What? I’m paying attention, I promise.”

“Right. So what do you think of Yves’ outfit today?”

“Oh man, that pink sweatshirt is one of my all-time favorites. She’s still unreal gorgeous, but it’s like. Softer. More approachable. Like she would hold my hand and tell me it’s ok I failed this test, I’ll do better on the next one.”

“If you paid half that much attention to the assigned reading you wouldn’t have failed in the first place.”

Chuu pouts with her entire body, and Haseul sighs because it’s impossible to stay mad at her. Also impossible: keeping Chuu’s eyes from wandering back over to Yves. 

“If I were prettier,” Haseul says, “would you actually listen to me?”

Chuu frowns, paying full attention to Haseul for the first time all period.

“You’re so pretty, don’t say that! I mean, maybe not quite like Yves because who is on that level” – Haseul snorts; the consistency is something – “but you’re totally crushworthy!”

Then why has no one ever confessed to me, Haseul thinks. In a school abounding with gay hijinks, she always seems to be left on the sidelines. And it could be worse – it’s not like she’s suffering through unrequited love. She’s never really fallen for anyone, and while that means she’s never gotten her heart broken she wonders sometimes if she’s missing out.

It’d be nice, to get all sweaty and heart-racing over someone. 

But, right now, she’s got a job to do: wrangling productivity out of Chuu. She’s never had a tutee fail, and Chuu isn’t going to be the one to break her streak.

;;

That weekend, the idea comes back. 

Yves and Jinsoul come over to hang out, and they end up wrestling over a stuffed animal for absolutely no reason (how these two are school heartthrobs, Haseul will never understand). It leaves Haseul alone with her thoughts as a shitty romcom plays in the background. 

When the confession scene comes on, she can’t keep from saying:

“Why don’t girls like me?”

Yves and Jinsoul stop mid-fight. Jinsoul has a hand smushed against Yves’ face, trying to keep her out of tickling range, and Haseul would laugh if she weren’t busy feeling sorry for herself.

“What are you talking about?” Jinsoul says. “Everyone loves you.”

“But no one wants to date me.”

It comes out sadder than Haseul means to be, because most of the time she likes her life. It’d just be better with a girlfriend. Or at least the possibility that someday there might be a girlfriend. Right now that feels so far away she can’t even imagine it, and great, there go tears building in her eyes. 

“Hey, how can we help?”

Yves’ voice is soft, and when Haseul shrugs Yves and Jinsoul engulf her in a messy hug. They all slide down into the couch and it’s comforting and warm, but. Still. 

It’d be a better kind of warm if she had a girlfriend to cuddle.

On the TV, the movie reaches a climactic kiss scene, the camera spinning dizzily around the main couple. It’s all typically cliché – a makeover took the female lead from nerd to chic, and the dude she’d been pining after for years took notice – but the story is hitting Haseul anyway. 

“Maybe I should get a makeover,” she says.

It’s a joke, the world can’t be that shallow, but Jinsoul and Yves trade considering looks. 

“Guys, no. I was kidding.”

“Weren’t you saying yesterday you want to try short hair?”

“And that I’m too scared of change to ever do it.”

“If you want girls to see you differently, give them something new to look at.”

Five minutes later they’re all in the bathroom, Jinsoul holding scissors in one hand and Haseul’s hair in the other. Haseul squeezes her eyes shut, unable to watch what’s about to happen. 

“You’re sure,” Jinsoul says.

“Yes. I think. Yes.”

So Jinsoul squeezes, and there's the distinctive sound of scissors closing, and suddenly Haseul's head feels a lot lighter. She opens one eye, just a bit, in case it’s bad.

Then she opens the other one, because it’s almost a different person looking back in the mirror. She gives her hair a testing toss, and Yves wolf whistles – this is not terrible, she’s pretty sure. 

But the cut does need evening out, so Haseul takes the scissors and shoes the others out of the bathroom. (She’s gotten pretty good at cutting in a straight line, because Jinsoul’s hair is so fried from bleach that it mutinies if someone doesn’t trim the ends every week.)

Just as Haseul is finishing up, Yves throws in clothes since “new hair deserves a new look, too!” Yves being Yves, she’s gathered all the things from Haseul’s closet that fit the tightest.

“I don’t usually wear those together,” Haseul calls through the closed door.

“Now you do,” Yves yells back.

Haseul puts them on, figuring why not. When she comes out of the bathroom, Yves and Jinsoul stare in silence for so long that her tentative confidence drains away.

“Is it that bad?”

“No!” Jinsoul’s voice is – squeaky? She clears her throat, and when she speaks again it dips lower, into the tone she saves for really attractive people. “You look good. Amazingly good. Like if you’re not talking I forget it’s you and you become this hot girl I want to make out with.”

Yves whacks her on the arm. 

“Ew, Jinsoul. That’s our friend you’re talking about.”

“Am I wrong?”

“…no.”

;;

Getting ready for school Monday morning, Haseul tells herself that nothing will be different. People might not notice the change, and even if they do it's not like a makeover will suddenly materialize her a girlfriend.

Despite her attempts to stay logical and grounded, her heart beats faster as she walks into the main building. 

What if this, right now, is the dawning of a new era. 

She can feel eyes on her as she opens her locker, and she might hear her name more than usual in the murmur of pre-class conversations. No one approaches, though, and by the time the bell rings her hopes deflate. 

Way to be anticlimactic, world. Maybe she’s just seen too many movies, but Haseul feels like she’s owed a few enthusiastic “great hair!”s, if not a full post-makeover sequence where some popular kid proclaims undying love.

When Haseul complains about the lack of reaction at lunch, her friends are less than sympathetic.

“All this was already in your closet,” Yves says. “It’s not that big a transformation.”

Jinsoul nods, adding on:

“And you are kinda one of the popular kids.”

Haseul is about to protest that having friends is different from having prospects, but then the student council president approaches their table.

“Hey Chungha, what’s up?” she says instead.

“Just wanted to let you know there’s a new transfer student, if you’re still looking for people to tutor.” Chungha pauses, tilts her head in a way that’s charming because somehow everything she does is. “By the way. You look really nice today.”

She walks off, and Jinsoul pokes Haseul meaningfully.

“Are you happy now?”

“Huh?”

“She was flirting with you!”

“What? No, she’s just friendly. That was her being friendly.”

Yves lays her head down on the table.

“You're so hopeless,” she says into it.

;; 

Haseul finds the new girl easily enough, her shock of red hair standing out in the hall.

“Hi, Vivi right? I’m Haseul! I wanted to introduce myself because I tutor for the school. It can be hard coming in late, so if you need help with anything just let me know!”

It’s a speech Haseul has given a dozen times: transfers tend to be too overwhelmed to seek out tutoring, even if they really need it, so Haseul does her best to make things easy. They tend to be grateful, and become friends if not tutees. (That’s how she collected Yves, back when she moved from Busan sophomore year.) 

So Haseul’s waiting for Vivi to smile and extend a hand, maybe say something appreciative. 

Only Vivi has a different script. She scans Haseul up and down, eyes calculating, and Haseul’s brain short circuits because is she getting checked out? Is the (incredibly cute) new girl checking her out?

“I don’t think I need the kind of tutoring you have in mind.”

Haseul’s still flaming from the feel of Vivi’s eyes on her, so she’s slow to process the insinuation.

Then it clicks, and:

“What?”

“Not used to that line failing you? You’re pretty enough, I bet it works on a lot of people.”

Haseul has no idea what to do now, because a girl called her pretty but also it doesn’t sound like a compliment?

“I don’t, I mean. I really am a tutor?”

Vivi’s expression says this is the most outlandish thing she’s ever heard. 

Haseul’s never had someone doubt her tutor-ness before, so it has to be the makeover taking effect. The ripped jeans she’s wearing are perhaps more high fashion apocalypse than friendly neighborhood nerd, and Vivi is clearly type-casting her as something. 

Haseul would totally do her best to be that thing, but she doesn’t know what it is or how to be it so she just stands there. Shuffles from foot to foot a few times before forcing herself to stand still. 

“You’re really a tutor?” 

“Yes?” Haseul coughs to get the question out of her voice. “Yes.”

After a long moment Vivi nods, and Haseul thinks maybe she’ll escape this interaction alive. Then, Vivi says:

“So I must need help because I’m a foreigner, right?” 

Haseul is rushing to refuse when she notices the curl in Vivi’s lips, getting more pronounced the more Haseul sputters in search of words. 

She’s being teased. Vivi is teasing her. 

That sends a wave of warmth through Haseul, because if new girl is making the effort to tease her that must mean she’s leveled up. She’s interesting enough to be worth messing with, which has never happened before.

The possibility of it makes Haseul start sweating, but she pulls herself together as best she can. She’s been enough of a mess already, so she goes to her exit strategy: a piece of paper with her number and email.

“In case you want help. Or anything else.”

Haseul smiles and turns to go. She’s congratulating herself for how well she recovered when she trips over nothing.

“I’m good! Totally meant to do that!”

;;

That encounter must reset the world, because suddenly girls are approaching Haseul. It’s like she’s become whatever Vivi thought she was.

Girls give her compliments and presents, make excuses to touch her arms or her hair. The salutatorian even asks to be tutored, and then turns bright red when Haseul points out how much she doesn’t need it. 

All this throws Haseul for a loop, but after a week she starts to get the hang of things. She stops asking everyone who talks to her “so are you here for Yves or Jinsoul,” and though her heart still races when someone looks at her through their lashes (down rather than up; even a makeover can’t remedy Haseul’s shortness) it’s getting to where she can hold her own. 

Like when a junior from choir interrupts a tutoring session to present her with homemade cookies. Haseul smiles, brushes their hands together as she takes the box, and feels vindicated when the girl flusters.

She, Haseul, flustered a girl. This is the crowning achievement of her life, and once the girl is gone she bounces triumphantly in her seat. 

Lip – her tutee – chuckles, which reminds Haseul that she has both an audience and a purpose beyond flirting.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get distracted.”

“She’s cute,” Lip says. “Do you like her?”

“Nah, I’m not even sure what her name is. It’s nice to get attention, though.” Lip looks taken aback, and Haseul realizes that was kind of terrible. Why would she say that. Who is this person she's become. “I mean. It just used to feel like people never saw me, you know?”

Lip smiles.

“I’m glad people are starting to see how great you are.”

;;

Vivi never asks for help, but she keeps appearing. 

She shows up in Haseul’s English elective and at the yearbook club meeting, at the bus stop after school and in the grocery store when Haseul helps her mom with shopping. 

Vivi’s just around, all the time, hovering at the edge of Haseul’s consciousness. It’s weird, because the people that give Haseul real attention never come into focus, but if Vivi smirks at her from across a room her palms go sweaty for an hour. 

She watches Vivi navigate school, watches the school decide that Vivi is some generic hot girl. She’s obviously more than that, and one day when they’re waiting for the bus Haseul’s mouth makes the mistake of telling Vivi as much.

“So what do you think of me,” Vivi says through a grin.

“I don’t know yet. I think you’re someone people make a lot of assumptions about, and I don’t want to do that. But I’m looking forward to getting to know you, if you’ll let me.”

Vivi smiles for real, eyes disappearing into half moons. It’s so pretty that Haseul forgets how to breath, but if this is how she goes then so be it. 

;;

They end up partners for a class presentation, and that’s when Vivi becomes an actual person. 

Haseul discovers layers in her: she’s gorgeous but also wickedly funny, with finely honed imitations of half the people at school (when did she have time to meet them all, let alone observe enough to caricature). She’ll drop that time she was on a yacht into casual conversation, not to show off but just because life has taken her so many extravagant places she doesn’t think to avoid mentioning them. And her laugh is the best thing ever, her whole face transforms and Haseul feels like she’s being let in on a secret: the coolest girl in school is just a kid who goes soft at pictures of baby animals.

Haseul stores up all these facts and more, and as the place in her dedicated to collecting things about Vivi takes up more and more territory she realizes that maybe this isn’t just a simple crush. 

She really likes Vivi. If she’s going to have a girlfriend, she only wants it to be Vivi. 

The question is, what’s she going to do about it.

;;

“You could just tell her,” Yves says, shoving way too many books into her locker.

Haseul tries to imagine. Gets tongue tied just thinking about it.

“Jinsoul, are you seeing this? I think we’ve reached peak fluster.” 

“I don’t know,” Jinsoul says. “I want to see her try to talk to Vivi before I commit.”

“Oh, good point. Haseul, go talk to her so we can see how red you get. Try to like, fall on your face or spill something on her if you can.”

“I hate you both,” Haseul says, but then her most persistent admirer comes around the corner and she ducks behind the two of them. Sometimes it’s useful being small.

;;

Before Haseul can plan a confession, she receives one.

“I like you,” Lip says, after twitching through a whole tutoring session. “I’ve always liked you. I was just too shy to do anything about it until everyone else started noticing how gorgeous and amazing you are.”

“Me? Really?”

Lip nods, her mouth curling in a soft smile. It makes Haseul’s heart stutter for a second, and she has a flash of what might’ve been – she could’ve liked Lip, the tough façade covering over softness, but now too much of her has already been claimed. 

“Thanks for telling me. There’s someone else I like, but I wish I could say yes.” 

Lip shrugs, like this is expected.

“I wanted to get it out. I’ll just. Go now.”

“Can I hug you first?” 

Haseul wants to do something to honor how brave and difficult confessing is, so when she’s given permission she throws her arms around Lip. 

That, of course, is the moment Vivi appears. 

;;

Vivi pulls away. She barely talks to Haseul, and when she does it’s snide comments that edge into mean. 

Haseul tries to cut her some slack, to get her to talk about what’s wrong, but all she gets for her trouble is insults and eventually she gets sick of it.

The final straw comes when she’s in the library, taking a break from people and rereading _Pride and Prejudice_ – it’s a nerdy favorite book, she knows, but the banter always sets her mind at peace. 

Until Vivi appears to taunt her.

“I bet you only read that because girls like it,” Vivi says, voice accusing, and it’s just so wrong that Haseul snaps.

“I don’t do things for appearances. Stop acting like you know me, because I’m sick of being judged for stuff I haven’t done! I’m not some player – I’ve never even been kissed, ok? You know, I thought we could at least be friends, but now I’m not sure I want that. Good luck, Vivi. Have a nice year.”

Haseul is pleased with her monologue. It’s well-delivered, a good note to walk away on, but when she takes the first step of her purposeful stride into the sunset she’s stopped by a hand on her arm.

It’s tentative. For the first time, Vivi seems uncertain.

“You could have your first kiss right now. If you wanted.”

“Do you think you can just – god, even you aren’t that pretty.”

This is a lie. Vivi is that pretty, and Haseul is doing everything in her power not to shout in exultation at the offer. Because she wants to kiss girls in general and Vivi in particular, but she has feelings and they’re hurt, and that matters a lot right up until the moment Vivi looks at her with serious, soulful eyes. 

“I’m sorry. I have trouble trusting people, especially cute, charming girls who start conversations like it’s easy.”

Haseul does a double take, because is that really how she reads to Vivi? 

“That’s not me. I promise I’m so lame. Like honestly, I just want to stay home on my couch and cuddle with someone while we watch the Kiera Knightly _Pride and Prejudice_.”

“How about Friday? If I’d be acceptable for cuddling.”

“I’ll have to think it over.” Haseul manages to wait two seconds. “Yes. Please. I don’t care if I’m not being cool I want that so much.”

“I do too.”

Vivi reaches for her hand, and Haseul’s sweating so much it must be disgusting but still the fit is exactly right.

**Author's Note:**

> twt: [@leaderline97](https://twitter.com/leaderline97)  
> cc: [@leaderline97](https://curiouscat.me/leaderline97)


End file.
